There is provided a word game utilizing random selection of letters to be used to form words. The game is fun and entertaining, yet quite challenging and educational. Through a random selection process, a number of letters are made available to a player or team of players from which the greatest possible number of words is to be constructed. The game thus involves an understanding of letters, vowels and consonants, elements of spelling, and word formation. In addition, upon a challenge by an opponent, dictionary usage may be introduced to determine authenticity of a word formed which involves the additional skills of alphabetizing and acquaints the player with definitions of the words. In addition the requirement that the selected letters be written on a scoreboard on which the constructed words are also recorded exercises both the players' memory for letters and the players' penmanship. In many prior art word games victory goes to the older child or the adult with superior verbal skills. However in this game, in order to maintain the interest of all players, an element of chance is introduced in that each of the letters are given different numerical weights which are totalled for each word and then for all words constructed from letters chosen by a random selection.
The invention features a word game using random selection of predetermined letters. There is a game board having a plurality of sets of letters arranged in successive positions in a path from a start to a finish. Each of the positions includes at least one letter and each of the sets has a distinctive designation. There are means for marking selective positions along each path. There is a die associated with each set, and each die has on each of its faces the distinctive designation of its associated set. Further, each die also contains on each face indicia representing an increment along the positions of the path for advancing the means for marking along each set of letters in correspondence with the indicia increment showing on the face of the die which bears the designation of that set for randomly choosing the plurality of letters from which to construct words.
In a preferred embodiment the game includes a scoreboard having a column corresponding to each set and bearing the designation associated with each set. The scoreboard has a space for receiving each letter appearing at a selected position of the associated set and also has a plurality of rows associated with the columns for recording words constructed from the letters in each column.
The letters in each set may have a different numerical weight than those in other sets, and the scoreboard may include a representation of the numerical weight of each set at the column associated with that set. The scoreboard may also include an additional column for tallying the numerical value of each word constructed.
Typically there are four sets of letters and each position includes two letters, with twenty-six positions on each set. Typically, the four sets are designated 1, 2, 3, and 4, and the letters in each set have a numerical weight equal to the designations, i.e. 1, 2, 3, and 4. The means for marking may simply include a predetermined area proximate each position, and the area may include a hole for receiving a peg to mark the position of progress as the player moves along the set from start to finish. Thus the designation on each die includes one of the numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4, and whichever number is so designated is included on all of the faces of the die. Further, the indicia on the die would include the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, for example, representing from one to six incremental distances.